ORLANDO — There comes a boiling point for any player, any team, a time to vent and air it out when so much has been allowed to fester for a long time.

Everyone knows the Raptors aren’t exactly held in the highest light in the U.S., relegated to afternoon start times when the post-season gets under way, infrequently showcased on prime time telecasts, virtually overlooked by so many American-based publications.

With the team winning and playing a style of basketball that is both entertaining and compelling, Toronto’s profile has improved.

But the inevitable conspiracy theories following Sunday’s loss to OKC at the Air Canada Centre surfaced, how the officials are out to get the team, how the NBA does not want the Raptors to succeed.

Even taken with any degree of logic or objectivity, any notion that the Raptors are being short-changed is baseless. Bad calls are made every night against every team, players and coaches complaining often given how inconsistent the officiating has been and how the NBA has been slow in reacting to the changing faces among the officiating crews.

The Raptors, as head coach Dwane Casey has pointed out constantly, are now the hunted and not the hunters.

They have to maintain an underdog mentality because that’s the only way they will advance in the playoffs, embracing a philosophy that no team must be taken for granted, every game as important as any other regardless of the relative strengths of that night’s opponent.

It’s human nature when that point of no return arrives and sheer emotion takes over. DeMar DeRozan reached that level late in Sunday’s tip and ws ejected.

Mind you, DeRozan did no favours with the NBA’s officials and it’ll be interesting to follow when Marc Davis, who teed up DeRozan, will next officiate a Raptors game.

DeRozan has learned to play through officiating, but more than anything, Sunday should be a teaching moment for what awaits.

Opponents know the best way to attack the Raptors is by getting under their skin, frustrate them and, when the officials aren’t calling fouls, even the most obvious, it’s up to the players to play through those missed calls.

The Raptors must now move past Sunday’s late-game meltdown that would see three starters and Casey being shown the door.

There’s so much to look forward to that it’s of little meaning to look past.

If anything, Sunday could be remembered as one of those cleansing of the soul sessions, best illustrated by DeRozan, who had finally seen enough.

But he must stay composed in such situations, knowing full well additional moments of adversity are right around the corner, sequences he can’t control.

The best way for DeRozan is to continue to attack the basket, initiate contact and force the officials to make a call.

A few have argued how DeRozan should have been more forceful when he took the Thunder’s Corey Brewer off the dribble.

Davis should have whistled Brewer for a foul, but he didn’t, some believing the ref didn’t have the best view of the play.

“It’s very important to keep your composure,’’ said Kyle Lowry following the loss to OKC. “It’s definitely tough, but it’s very important to keep your composure.”

Lowry fouled out with just more than three minutes remaining.

Some of his fouls were of the 50-50 variety, some where he probably should have used better judgment in trying to retrieve loose balls.

“We’ve still got bigger goals and, long term you know, this will help us every time we are on the floor,” he said. “Every situation is going to help us long term, so it’s just another step in our journey.”

Lowry is right because the Raptors are good, with a real shot to play for an NBA title.

OKC is rolling and the only player close to resembling Russell Westbrook in the East is LeBron James, whom the Raptors will meet Wednesday night in Cleveland.

The Thunder has better talent than the Cavs, who don’t have anyone on their roster outside of James capable of creating their own shot.

OKC brought a physical edge to the game and as Casey readily admitted afterwards, the Raptors did not match it.

“We didn’t,’’ the coach said. “We didn’t handle the pick and roll well with (Steven) Adams, we didn’t rotate properly, quick enough. We have to get back in front, we’ve done it all year, it’s nothing new.

“The speed and conviction you need to do it with wasn’t there (Sunday). Those are the things where, the speed of the game is the type of speed your are going to see in the playoffs, that type of speed, that type of physicality and we have to do a better job.

“We have to prepare them (players) better for those types of situations, we need to do a better job of getting back in front, challenging the shot and when the shot goes up we have to gang rebound.”

RAPS HIT ROAD WITH RECORD IN SIGHT

The Raptors hit the road for a back-to-back set hoping to hit a milestone, one of many for a team that is on the cusp of setting a club record for most wins in a season.

OKC ended the Raptors’ franchise-tying win streak at 11, but the Raptors have won eight on the road as they play the host Magic Tuesday night before winging it to Cleveland for a Wednesday date with LeBron James and the Cavs.

On the season, the Raptors are 23-12 on the road, their next win tying for most away wins in franchise history, set during the 2015-16 season.

Toronto hasn’t played a back to back on the road since Christmas when the Raptors had a Boxing Day evening tip in Dallas followed a game in OKC.

The Raptors lost both, the only time the team has lost back-to-back road games on consecutive nights.

Following the Magic-Cavs back to back, the Raptors end the season with two more sets of back to backs, but neither features two consecutive road games.

As the home team, which includes a tip in London, England, the Magic has lost eight of 10 against the Raptors.

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